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JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Clapton, Ma, Brightman to contribute to Aichi expo

Guitarist Eric Clapton, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and soprano Sara Brightman will be involved in the musical program of the 2005 Aichi World Exposition that begins next March, organizers said Thursday.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Shirakawa oft visited illegal casino but says he didn't bet

Katsuhiko Shirakawa, a former home affairs minister and ex-chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, has admitted visiting an illegal casino in Tokyo under a false name -- but has denied placing any bets.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 12, 2004

Japan to face Cuba in warm up

Japan's Olympic baseball team will play Cuba in July as a warm up for this summer's Athens Olympics, Japanese baseball officials said Thursday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Mar 12, 2004

Leicester players perpetuate England's drink culture

LONDON -- If somebody offered you a job which paid £30,000 a week and one of the stipulations was that you had to give up alcohol for a certain period of time, would it be too much of an imposition on your freedom?
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Mitsubishi Fuso admits defect may send truck wheels flying

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. acknowledged Thursday that some of its large vehicles have design flaws that could cause the wheels to come off, as in an accident that killed a woman in 2002.
EDITORIALS
Mar 12, 2004

Potholes in highway privatization

At first glance, the highway privatization package approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday looks attractive indeed. The existing four operators, including the flagship Japan Highway Public Corp., will be placed in private hands, and the combined 40 trillion yen debt that has accumulated over the years --...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

Post offices should offer more services: panel

A governmental economic policy-setting panel said Thursday that services offered at post offices should be diversified when they are privatized, according to economic and fiscal policy minister Heizo Takenaka.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

Nikkei BP forms China alliance

Nikkei Business Publications Inc. (Nikkei BP) said Thursday it has formed an alliance with International Data Group to integrate their electronics magazines published in China.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Defense Agency upgrade delay sought

A senior lawmaker of New Komeito said Thursday a bill to upgrade the Defense Agency to a ministry should not go to the Diet during the current ordinary session.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Jewel-heist plot thickens as suspected perpetrators flee

Men matching the descriptions of two robbers who stole 3.5 billion yen worth of jewelry from a store in Tokyo's Ginza district last week have left Japan from Narita and Kansai airports, police sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

No yen redenomination: Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi dismissed talk of redenominating the yen Thursday after reportedly floating the idea the night before.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

With Mexico FTA set, Japan turns toward Asia

Japan and Mexico are poised to give the final go-ahead Friday on a free-trade agreement that trade officials hope will smooth the way for bilateral deals closer to home in Asia.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Koizumi backpedals, supports certain cases of 'amakudari'

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Thursday backpedaled on his recent pledge to bar retired bureaucrats from heading semigovernmental special companies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

Plants built amid digital gadget boom

With more and more Japanese households using digital appliances that can be monitored and controlled via the Internet and mobile phones, many firms are planning to build more plants in Japan to make components for these smart products.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
Mar 12, 2004

Flowers blossom above the Californian fog

The red wines of Burgundy are often cited as the Holy Grail for New World makers of Pinot Noir, but the results have almost invariably fallen short. So we were surprised to see wine guru Robert Parker recently laud a Pinot from New World upstart Flowers Winery as "evocative of a Domaine de la Romanee...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

NTT in U.S. patent suit since 2001

The University of Texas filed a damages suit in the United States in 2001 against NTT Corp. over NTT's patented battery technology, which the school claims was taken from it by a former student who worked as an engineer for the firm, NTT officials said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Toyota trumpets walking robots

Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled four humanoid robot prototypes Thursday, some of which can walk and play the trumpet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 12, 2004

Museums bid to widen leisure appeal

Museums want you to drop by, of course, but they also want you to linger, to explore, take your time -- the whole afternoon, if possible. To this end, no respectable museum can be without cafes and shops to enhance the experience.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2004

Chinese being frozen out of student visa process

Things are looking pretty grim for Chinese students who have their sights set on pursuing their Japanese language studies here.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

LDP, FSA clash over bank plan

Liberal Democratic Party panels on financial policy and research voiced opposition Thursday toward a Financial Services Agency plan aimed at lifting all restrictions on banks entering the insurance business.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2004

Vodafone to offer Global Mail service

Vodafone K.K. said it will launch a new service Thursday that enables its mobile phone users to exchange e-mail with photo and video data with overseas users who have compatible handsets on participating networks.
Japan Times
Events
Mar 12, 2004

Diagnosing what really ails Japan, Germany

BERLIN -- Japan and Germany, once the powerful engines of the global economy together with the United States, have had stagnant years since the 1990s.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji